Demetrice Haynes, REALTOR® - HOW TO WIN AT THE GAME OF REAL ESTATE

HOW TO WIN AT THE GAME OF REAL ESTATE

Demetrice Haynes, ynes, REALTOR®

Table Of Contents

Why Should You Read This Book?

An Overview Of The 10 Steps

Show Prospects How You Helped Other Customers Reach Their Goals

Anyone Can Learn How To Make Friends

Discover Exactly Why You're Better, Then Tell Customers

How To Be The Confident Pro Clients Want To Hire

Sharpen Your Presentation

Create Your Plan And Present It To Customers 49

Find Your Passion And Use It To Get Business 55

10. Develop A Niche And Establish Yourself As The Best 61

11. Identify And Use Your Communication Strength 69

12. Build Your Clientele

13. New At The Game? Step Up To Bat!

Introduction Hi there! It’s nice to meet you. If you’ve received this book, it’s probably because you’re thinking about selling your home. And if you’re like most sellers, you may be dreading the entire process. But that’s why I’m here! My job is to make your job as a seller as easy and seamless as possible. Throughout my years of experience in the real estate industry, I’ve amassed insider knowledge to help home sellers get the most money out of their homes in the least amount of time. And now, you’ve got all of that information at your fingertips. If you’ve ever wondered how a friend with a seemingly average house in a seemingly average neighborhood managed to sell his home way above market value, the answer isn’t luck. That person likely was working with a great Realtor®.

In this book, you’ll find:

• An overview of the sales process • Secret strategies to sell your home for more money • Common mistakes to avoid • Marketing techniques employed by top agents • Advice on how to appeal to today’s buyers • Tips for upgrading with the greatest return on investment • A negotiation guide to get more money • And much, much more Sure, you can try to employ these strategies yourself. But I suggest talking to a licensed professional — like myself — to employ them for you. Yes, selling your home can be stressful, but with this book (and my help!), we can make the process as quick v

and seamless as possible.

About Demetrice Demetrice Haynes I am native of Southern California was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. Come from a background of 36 years’ experience in the Real Estate industry and experience to bear when working with real estate clients. Demetrice Haynes attended University of Phoenix and earned a BA in Business Management; MBA in Administration and skills which gives her a unique insight into how to negotiate and protect clients to find the best deal and market properties. My dreams were to have my own business and help others I purchased my first home right out of High School, which not only gave me the opportunity to help myself but gain the experience and learn the process to help other families to purchase their dream home.

vii

CHAPTER 1 Why Should You Read This Book? ead This Book? Ever wonder why one agent toils away without much success while another enjoys a thriving business? Is it just luck? We talk about luck as though it were a living force — a force that chooses some people and ignores others. When you think about it, it’s kind of silly to believe some force we can’t even define decides who gets to be successful. Is success based on talent then? That’s another word we use a lot without really understanding it. Is talent some mysterious quality people are “just born with?” And how does it affect success? We all know artists and performers who seem to have talent — whatever that is — but aren’t successful. More and more, researchers and thinkers are discovering that success has more to do with preparation and opportunity than it does with mystical forces such as luck or talent. And here’s the thing: preparation and opportunity are things you can control. You can learn them, practice them, and use them over and over to build a successful business.

That’s what this book will teach you to do!

In the real estate game, you can prepare for success by increasing your knowledge of the market, practicing your people skills, differentiating yourself from competitors, and training yourself to be a more effective negotiator. You can create opportunities by looking for prospects in places other agents ignore, finding ways to meet more prospective 1

buyers and sellers, and sharpening your marketing focus.

When your preparation intersects with opportunity, your success isn’t just more probable. It’s inevitable. But first, you have to get noticed. As you probably know, there is a lot of competition in the real estate business. The National Association of Realtors® has a membership count of more than 1 million. That’s a lot of real estate agents crowding the marketplace. They make it hard for people who want to buy or sell homes to cut through the noise and find you. This book will enable you to get business not just in spite of your competition, but because of it. You’ll learn how to develop superior skills and a Unique Selling Proposition that will get you more customers and make you more money. What you learn from reading this book will set you apart from other Realtors®. Here are just a few things you’ll learn: • The tips inside this book will enable you to show customers why they should work with you instead of your competition. • You’ll learn how to find your strengths and tell customers about them effectively — regardless of your communication style. • You’ll discover how to build your clientele and take advantage of little-known principles such as the Law of 250. • This book will provide tips on how to build your confidence, make friends, and become the kind of professional people want to work with. • You’ll explore not only how to tell customers you’re better to work with, but to prove it with testimonials, reviews, and case studies — even if you’re brand new to the real 2

estate game!

So, sit back, enjoy, and get ready to absorb no-nonsense tips on how to take your real estate business to the highest level. Every Realtor® is looking for an edge over their 1 million competitors. This book will provide you with that competitive advantage.

CHAPTER 2 An Overview of the 10 St erview of the 10 Steps

1. Show prospects how you helped other customers reach their goals. Customers don’t have the knowledge of real estate to determine which agents are good and which are not. Use case studies and testimonials to prove your effectiveness. 2. Learn how to make friends. People prefer to do business with people they like. Win people’s business by first winning their friendship. To develop this ability, practice listening attentively to people. Look for something about them that you admire and can compliment in a genuine way. Avoid focusing on possible areas of conflict or disagreement. 3. Discover exactly why you’re better, then tell customers. Learn to identify the skills that set you apart from your competition. Your customers want to hear about why you’re different. Make this an early highlight of conversation. 4. Learn how to be the confident pro your clients want to hire. Is lack of confidence holding you back? Sell yourself to you first. Start by reviewing the ways you’ve helped customers in the past. Then formulate a plan you can believe in. 5. Sharpen your presentation. You have the skills to be a champion communicator. Practice makes perfect. 6. Create your plan and present it to customers. What’s your marketing plan for sellers? And can you help buyers put together a buying plan? You’d be surprised how many agents overlook this important step!

7. Find your passion and use it to get business. Customers are drawn to passionate people. Let the secret of Affinity Marketing put your passion to work. This can also give you greater satisfaction by putting more of “you” in your career. 8. Develop a niche expertise and promote yourself as the best at that niche. Clients want to work with an expert. Find out how to tap your unique expertise. Your niche should help you form a core platform for prospecting, but it shouldn’t prevent you from seeking business in other areas. 9. Identify and use your communication strength. Different people communicate in different ways. Some are great public speakers. Some express themselves more effectively through their writing. Others are more comfortable communicating and building rapport one-on-one. Avoid your personal pitfalls and find the way that works best for you. 10. Build your clientele. Wouldn’t you love to wake up every morning and know that new customers were on their way? Learn the secret of a top sales expert, who shared his secret, the Law of 250.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• This book details the 10 simple steps — and professional secrets — to unlocking skills you didn’t know you had. • Learning and applying the 10 steps detailed in this book will help you build a real estate business that is fulfilling, self-sustaining, and above all, successful.

CHAPTER 3 Show Prospects Ho ospects How You Helped Other Customers Reach Their Goals You might have heard the adage, “Don’t just tell people — show them!” It’s a key to success in many industries and professions, from sales and marketing to filmmaking. Why? Because all of your competitors claim to help their clients. But very few know how to demonstrate it in a concrete, convincing way. The best way to demonstrate your value to prospective customers — the best way to prove why they should work with you — is to give them testimonials and case studies of how you helped other customers reach their goals.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

Why do you need to give them testimonials and case studies? Let me explain. The average real estate customer does not know anything about real estate. They don’t know who’s a good Realtor® and who’s not a good Realtor®. They find real estate concepts and terminology confusing. Frankly, they don’t understand real estate any more than you or I understand engine rebuilding, civil litigation, or heart surgery. If we were to go out and hire a mechanic to rebuild our engine, or a lawyer to defend us in a lawsuit, or a doctor to perform our heart surgery, we wouldn’t know much about the process. We wouldn’t know who’s good and who’s not.

It’s the same thing for prospective real estate customers. They don’t know who’s good and who’s not. So, by giving them case studies and testimonials, you can show them why you’re good and give them the confidence to work with you. In addition to that, almost everyone has been burned by a business or by a professional in the past. If you only make big claims about your abilities, prospects aren’t likely to believe you. If they’ve had a bad experience with a real estate agent — or with any professional — they’re likely to be skeptical. They’re going to be cautious about working with somebody, unless they know that person’s going to do a good job for them. With so many Realtors® to pick from, how do they know who to choose to work with? Here’s how you can put together case studies, testimonials, and other reviews that document your skills and get customers to work with you.

HERE'S HOW TO DO IT

You can give prospects a case study. You can give them examples of how you sold a house, for example, that another agent wasn’t able to sell. You can show them examples of how you were able to negotiate a better price for your customer. You can show them examples of how you were able to help another home buyer find their dream home, despite the obstacles. You can show them how you solved problems in a transaction. That’s a case study. Basically, you show the before and after. Before, there was a seller, and an agent couldn’t sell their house. The seller didn’t know what to do. So, they hired you to sell their house, and you got it done, despite their earlier problems.

Here’s an example of an effective case study:

Case Study #1: y #1: Home was for sale for 12 months with two other

Realtors®. The sellers hired me, and I sold it in 8 days for 98.3% of the asking price. This was an interesting sale. The sellers had been trying to sell the home for a year and really struggled at it. The reason the home wasn’t selling was not because of the price. (The home was absolutely worth what the sellers were asking for.) BUT, there was a minor complication. The neighborhood where the home was located was considering some major upgrades. They were considering assessing everyone in the neighborhood for $7,000 to $8,000 each to cover the cost. The buyers would look at the house and then get cold feet because of the pending assessment. Most of the buyers would say something like, “I’ll buy your house, but I want an $8,000 discount on the price because of the special assessment.” The sellers would reply, “I’m glad to sell you my house, but I am not going to discount $8,000 because we think the special assessment is not going to go through.” The sellers told me about the problem when I put the home up for sale. I thought about it for a few minutes and proposed a solution.

Here’s what I told them:

“Let’s sell the house and agree to hold $8,000 in escrow. If the special assessment goes through within a year, then the buyers get that $8,000. If it does not go through within a year, then the $8,000 goes to you.” We all agreed that that sounded like a good idea. The home sold very fast for 98.3% of the asking price. The $8,000 was put into

escrow and an attorney typed up the escrow agreement.

It turned out that the sellers were correct. The opposition in the neighborhood was strong and the special assessment never went through. A year later, the sellers received the $8,000 that had been put into escrow. This story gives you a great example of some of the problems a good agent solves on a day-to-day basis. I don’t think my idea was particularly revolutionary, but it did solve the problem. Honestly, I am sometimes surprised at how little effort other people put into selling a home.

Do You Want to Sell Your Home for More Money? Give Me a Call Right Away at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

As you can see, case studies tell stories — stories about sales that you’ve accomplished. Stories about problems you have solved. You want to put together a really good case study that proves how you were able to get a better result than the other agent who had been working on the problem. Did you overcome an inherent weakness in the property? Identify a hidden advantage that the owners — and especially, other agents — completely overlooked? Help the buyers locate creative financing? Save what seemed like a doomed sale with a last-minute show of negotiating heroics? What set you apart from the people who couldn’t get it done?

USING VIDEO TESTIMONIALS

Here’s another great way to put together testimonials for your business: use video testimonials whenever you go and meet with

a customer to sign a contract.

Let’s say you have a listing, and it’s been on the market a while with another Realtor®, who wasn’t able to sell it. You go meet with the sellers. You finally get an offer. You finally get a contract. You meet with them to sign the contract. While you’re doing that, pull out your cellphone and get a testimonial video. I’ve found that the closing is a great place to get a video testimonial. But when you’re meeting with the seller to sign the contract, they’ll probably be on an emotional high. You know how real estate can be. There can be a lot of problems with closing. Maybe the loan gets delayed. There are inspection problems. There are problems with the survey. Problems with this, problems with that. Signing the contract is a high point, when both sides of the sale breathe a sigh of relief. It feels as though the hard work and anticipation have paid off, even though additional problems may surface at the closing. Remember, though, problems are good. If there weren’t any problems, people wouldn’t need to hire a Realtor®. Don’t be ashamed of problems but be careful to choose the right time to record your testimonial video. Wait until problems have been resolved. Then be ready to shoot an additional testimonial video after the closing, when final documents are signed and everyone’s happy again. OK, now that you know when to get your testimonial video, here’s how to get it. Most people are not professional speakers. Even if you script their comments in advance, most people are not good speakers. I don’t mean to sound harsh or to be rude to anybody, but that’s just the reality. You know, most of us are not good speakers.

So, in order to get an effective testimonial, you’re going to have to ask your customer questions. Ask “How long did you have your house for sale with the other Realtor® when it didn’t sell?” They might answer, “I had my house for sale for three months.” OK, cool. Then, you ask them, “Were you frustrated during the process of three months when it wouldn’t sell?” They might answer with something such as, “Yes, I was very frustrated for three months when the other agent could not sell my house.” So far, so good. Now, you can script those two things together and get the customer’s answer, so they speak smoothly and convincingly. They can say good things about you, talk about the job you’ve done, but you’ll have to ask them questions and basically pull the testimonial out of them. Don’t expect them to walk in the door and have an amazing testimonial ready for you.

Here are some questions you might consider asking:

• How did you feel? • What were some of the low points? • What were some of the high points? • What do you think I did better? • What do you think I did differently? • Would you recommend me to any of your friends and family? • Would you recommend other people work with me? • Would you recommend people not work with the other agent? (Don’t use the other agent’s name!) In this way, you’ll pull all the desirable information out of your client. Once you’re done, you’ll want to go through and edit all

that information into a solid, continuous testimonial, in which it sounds like only the client is talking. If you don’t know how to do this, you can hire someone to edit the video for you on a website such as fiver.com or freelancer.com. Here’s another tip. When people are being interviewed for a testimonial, they usually don’t know where to look. Hold your phone or camera close to your head, and just have the client look at you. This will seem more natural to them and will look much more natural in the finished video. Nothing looks worse than a client who continually shifts focus, darting their eyes back and forth between you and the camera. This makes people look shifty and dishonest. Pay attention to sound quality. If possible, record your client in a room that doesn’t echo, and hold your phone close enough to them so that they can be heard plainly. Smoothly edited video testimonials are very powerful tools for showing prospects how you’ve helped other customers solve their problems and reach their goals.

GETTING EMAIL TES G EMAIL TESTIMONIALS

The next thing you can think about doing is email testimonials. Handle these similarly to the way you handle video testimonials. Send your customer a list of questions: Hey, John. I just sold your house. I really appreciate your business. By the way, would you mind answering a couple of questions for me? • Do you think I did a good job? • Would you recommend me to your friends and family?

• Were you frustrated with the other agent? • Etc.

Two or three of the right questions might be all you need. After they’ve answered all your questions, you’ll have information you can turn into a testimonial. Maybe you could write it into a sentence or a couple of mini-paragraphs. Then, send it back to the customer, and ask, “Hey, do you agree with this? If so, then just email this back to me.” As with your video, you’ll be writing the testimonial for your customer. What you’re really doing is you’re pulling the testimonial out of them and scripting it, so that it reads really well.

ASK FOR REVIEWS

Once you’ve gone back and forth with your customer and completed their email testimonial, why not turn it into a review? Ask them if they’ll go online to Zillow or Realtor.com and post their comment in the review section. Here are some other ways to get reviews. Again, a good time to get a review is when you sign the contract with the customer. For example, maybe you’re working with a buyer. They’ve found their dream home, and they’re negotiating the price. Finally, the seller accepts their offer, and you’re meeting with them to sign off on the contract. That’s an emotional high. It’s a great time to get a testimonial from that buyer, and it’s also a great time to get the buyer’s review. As with testimonials, you can ask for an additional review at the closing. Don’t worry about asking for the review in the presence of the other agent. In a lot of cases, the other agent will jump in and get their own review from their customer. You can even offer 14

to help them do that.

Remember, be gracious. Don’t try to outshine anyone, and especially, do not say anything bad about the other agent in front of their customer. Just go ahead and get the reviews. Bring your cell phone or laptop computer. Hook it up to Wi-Fi if it’s available at the office where the closing takes place. Then, you can type the review into your computer with your customer or show them how to enter a review on Zillow or Realtor.com — even walk them through it on their cellphone.

FINAL TIPS FOR TESTIMONIALS

What if you’re not a top producer? What if you’re just starting out? What if you don’t have a bunch of reviews? What if you have no reviews or testimonials? Don’t sweat it! You’re not alone. You can still use reviews, testimonials, and case studies. How? Use the case studies from your brokerage. If you’re just starting out and your broker’s going to be helping you, then your broker will have case studies you can use. Use the case studies from other agents at your brokerage and the reviews of your brokerage to grow your business. Remember, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a testimonial can save you a thousand words trying to convince a customer to work with you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Most people don’t understand real estate and can’t pick good agents from bad ones. • Use case studies, testimonials, and reviews to show how

you’ve helped other customers reach their goals. • Contract signings and closings are great times to record testimonials on your cell phone and obtain reviews. • Use questions to pull information from clients. Professional editing also helps. • If you’re a new agent or have no case studies or reviews, use your broker’s.

CHAPTER 4 Anyone Can Learn How to Make Friends

Making friends is a skill that anyone can learn. Now, why does this matter? Why do you want to learn how to make friends? Let me explain. If all other factors are equal, people prefer to do business with people they like. In other words, friends, or at least individuals who are friendly. If you know how to make friends, then you can be that person and you can win their business. Now don’t worry, you can learn how to make friends. It’s true. 100 percent. Don’t doubt your abilities. This is a skill that any person can learn.

ONE REALTOR'S STORY

Here’s a true story. I know a man who struggled to make friends. He wasn’t very good at it, and he honestly doubted that he had the ability to make friends. Because he was a Realtor®, his struggle held him back from his true potential in the real estate business. Once this man committed himself to learning the necessary skills, he discovered there were some excellent books and other resources at his command. One of the best was Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Gradually, the guy learned the steps in winning friends and began applying the principles successfully. It’s interesting that the man in my example started by wanting 17

to make friends so that he could become more successful in real estate. Today, this man loves real estate because it’s a great way for him to meet people and make friends. Dale Carnegie realized that people are largely emotional, not logical. Often, they’re motivated by prejudices, pride, and vanity. Carnegie advised his readers to arouse in the other person an eager want. The best way to influence others is to talk about what they want and show them how to get it. If there is one secret of success, it’s the ability to see things the way the other person sees them. Here’s what you can do: just learn how to be nice. I know that sounds a little corny, but niceness matters. Just being nice can make a big difference to your business. Then you can learn how to bond with people. To learn how to connect with people, find something that they’re interested in and that you’re interested in. As you learn these skills on how to make friends, you can practice by going to community events, interacting with people, etc. There are lots of ways that you can practice how to make friends. Here are a couple of tips on things that you can do to make friends right away. The first thing you want to do is to become genuinely interested in other people. Learn how to listen to them. Learn how to let them talk for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and just listen.

TIPS FOR MAKING FRIENDS G FRIENDS

Break the Ice Gently:

• Become genuinely interested in other people. • Smile and maintain good eye contact. 18

• Learn a person’s name, remember it, and use it in the conversation. • Listen attentively and encourage people to talk about themselves. • Find a reason to give the other person a sincere compliment. • Center your conversation around the other person’s interests. Look for interests that you have in common. • Make the other person feel like the most important person in the room.

Show Respect and Promote Engagement:

• Never argue. Be respectful of others’ opinions. Don’t say, “You're wrong.” • Nod your agreement with the other person. Try to phrase points so that they find it easy to say “yes.” • Let them do most of the talking and think they came up with the good ideas. • Practice empathy, but don’t say, “I understand how you feel” unless you’ve been in the same situation. • Assume the other person has good intentions. • When possible, tell stories to illustrate your points.

Avoid Friction:

• If the other person makes a mistake, call it to their attention indirectly. Ask for clarification — don’t confront. • Be quick to acknowledge your own mistakes. • Avoid sounding dictatorial. Put what you want the other person to do in the form of a question: “Would you be

comfortable doing this?” or “Does that sound acceptable?” • Help the other person save face. Never make them feel cornered or defensive. Be interested in what they have to tell you. I can almost hear you asking, “But what if I’m really not interested?” Remember, it’s a skill that you can develop. Start by acting interested. Then learn to turn the other person’s conversation subtly toward subjects that are more interesting to you. Part of being interested is just keeping yourself alert and engaged. Avoid being judgmental. You don’t agree with everything your friends say, right? Just treat the people you meet the way you treat your friends. Once you learn this, I have seen huge changes in customers. I’ve met with some people who came in and were kind of ornery, difficult to deal with, and even downright hostile. I hit it off. I sat down. I learned how to talk to them and listen to them for hours, and then they hired me to help them sell their house. You can do the same thing yourself. Just learn how to listen. You can try turning it into a contest for yourself. See how long you can let someone else talk before you open your mouth and speak. Maybe you meet a new person at a community event or somewhere or maybe a new customer. Just let them talk. If you’re there meeting them one-on-one, maybe at an open house, just let them talk and talk and talk. Just smile and listen to them and see how long you can go before you interrupt or reply. Most people avoid silence. The less you say, the harder they will work to fill up the empty spaces in the conversation. Think of how much you’ll learn about the other person! You’ll learn what

they like — things you can touch on to bond with them. You’ll learn their dislikes — things to avoid in future conversations. You’ll find out what they think about things — their hopes and goals, their fears and insecurities. All of these things help define your role as a friend. How can you help these people? How can you support their goals? How can you put them at ease? You can train yourself to become a good listener. A good listener will run circles at making friends around somebody who talks a lot about themselves. Then become genuinely interested in other people. Listen to them. Talk to them. If they say something you agree with or that reflects your own ideas, it’s easy to be genuinely interested in what they have to talk about. Even if they say something you disagree with or that sounds strange to you, learn to appreciate how and why they developed those ideas. It’s been said that we learn the most from the people who are the least like us. Learning about the differences in people can be interesting. Make the people you meet feel important and do it sincerely. Don’t make them feel important with false flattery. Make them feel important because you take the time to really hear what they have to say. Make them feel important, and you’re going to gain friends. Make friends, and you’re going to be successful.

DON'T FORGET NONVERBAL CUES AL CUES

Remember that nonverbal cues — the little behavioral signals we give to others — are often an important part of building friendship. Maintain eye contact with the person you meet — not a searing glare that makes them feel uncomfortable, but enough to let them feel that they have your undivided attention. Don’t

look around distractedly.

Watch your posture. If you’re sitting far away from them, tensed up with your arms and legs crossed, you’re probably sending the wrong message. Try opening up a bit, physically. Lean in toward them slightly, to make it clear that what they say is important for you to hear. Many people find success by mirroring — watching the other person and trying to adopt the same posture, expressions, and gestures. This is a good idea, but don’t make it so obvious that the other person thinks you’re making fun of them. When you speak — again, let them do most of the talking — keep your voice at an easy pace that’s not too fast. Let people know you have time for what they want to say. Smile. It’s hard to dislike someone who clearly likes us. So, show outward signs that you like the other person.

A FEW LAST TIPS

Don’t criticize what people have to say, their thoughts, or actions. Don’t condemn them, and don’t complain. Criticism is futile. It puts people on the defensive, which often leads to trying to justify themselves. Criticism wounds people’s precious pride, damages their sense of importance, and arouses resentment. You’ll show more character and self-control by being understanding and forgiving. Find any way that you can to give honest and sincere appreciation. As Thomas Carlyle said: A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• All other factors being equal, people prefer to buy from friends or individuals they like. • Making friends is a skill anyone can learn. The more you practice being friendly, the better you’ll be at making friends. • Start by being nice and a good listener. Let people talk, and don’t judge them. • Study great resources, such as Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. • To help you bond with someone, find something that person is interested in that also interests you. • Make sure your nonverbal behavior is engaging. Keep your posture open, smile, maintain appropriate eye contact, and use a pleasant, medium-paced voice.

CHAPTER 5 Discover Exactly Why You're Better, Then Tell Customers Figure out exactly why you’re better or why you’re different from other real estate agents. Find your strengths. Why does this matter? Let me explain how this works. Great marketers know the value of market positioning. It’s a strategy to make your brand or product stand apart from those of your competitors in the minds of your customers. Remember those 1 million Realtors® we talked about in this book’s Introduction? It’s important to set yourself apart from them, or at least the ones in your market area. What do you do that they don’t? Why are you the best at doing it? Most people don’t know how to show prospective customers why they’re better — even when they’re way, way better than their competition. It’s a reality of life. Some established businesses have more customers, have more traction in the marketplace just because they’ve been around longer. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re better. Have you ever heard of Hewlett-Packard? They should be the best computer company in the business. They’ve been around the longest. Almost everybody in America knows who Hewlett- Packard is. However, Hewlett-Packard didn’t invent the iPhone. Somebody else did — somebody not as well-known as Hewlett- Packard at the time. We all know examples of people who did an amazing job but 25

didn’t have a lot of customers because not enough people knew about them. I’ve seen examples in car repair, carpenters, tile setters, and contractors. Often, people who do an amazing job don’t know how to tell people why they’re better. I’ve even seen marketing people who are so busy doing great work for their clients that they forget to market themselves! One problem is that even high-performing individuals usually don’t know how to tell a story about their abilities. Stories are powerful. The best stories don’t just give the facts — they make facts memorable by engaging listeners’ emotions. Tell a story to back up your claim about why you’re better and why the customer should work with you.

FOLLOW A 3-STEP PROCESS

Here’s how you can tell customers why you’re better than your competition. The difference between you and your competitors doesn’t have to be huge. Perhaps you’re just better at a specific niche or better in a different way. Setting yourself apart from — and above — your competition is a three-step process: 1. Figure out what makes you better. 2. Then, figure out how you will tell customers why you’re better. 3. Test out your message and tweak it based on the response.

HOW TO FIGURE OUT WHY YOU'RE BETTER

Figuring out why you’re better doesn’t have to be super complicated. Before you get into fancy graphs and all sorts of crazy stuff, just look at the basics. In marketing terms, this is all about developing your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Remember when we talked about using testimonials? If you have testimonials and case studies, you already have proof that you are

better.

Here’s what you can do: find something that separates you from other agents. It has to be believable. Here are a few ideas of differentiators you can look for in your own expertise. Negotiating: Perhaps your business experience makes you an excellent negotiator. You used to work at a Fortune 500 company. Be aware that many agents claim to be good negotiators, so be prepared to explain your expertise to your prospects and customers in ways that are convincing and easy to understand. Offer them proof. Tell your customers stories about the multi-million-dollar deals you negotiated. Give them examples of deals you initiated because you dug into research your competitors overlooked. Tell them about the time you lightened a tense negotiation by telling a well-timed joke. Give people inside information about the negotiation process — how to know when to be flexible or stand firm on pricing. Explain how to figure out when a buyer or seller is bluffing. Connect your skills to results that are meaningful to the customer — usually making or saving them money. Tell them how you’re an excellent negotiator who will negotiate a better deal for them whether they’re buying a house or selling a house. Customer Service: If you’ve worked in customer service, tell people about that. “Hey, I know how to take care of customers and keep them happy. Come to me for a world-class customer experience!” Tell them you’ll save them time, money, and frustration by anticipating their needs. You’ll take the worry out of a real estate transaction by explaining things in simple terms, not jargon. Prove what you say with testimonials, reviews, and ratings from satisfied customers.

Perhaps you worked in a non-real estate job, such as waiting tables. Tell people you’re used to a fast-paced environment, solving problems, and resolving complaints from difficult people. You’re an expert at keeping people happy. Were you an account rep? Talk about your problem-solving skills, attention to detail, employee-of-the-month awards, and how you earned customer loyalty. Are your clients selling homes in an upscale community? Explain that you know what makes upscale professionals and business owners “tick” — the same people likely to buy their home. Did you work in retail? Talk about your customer-first attitude, thinking on your toes, and how you’re willing to put in long hours to make a sale. You’re used to dealing with unique requests and providing high-level customer service. Staging Houses: Maybe your talent is visualizing a home from the buyer’s point of view. You understand how the right paint job, furnishings, and carpeting can maximize a home’s advantages — and minimize problems. Talk about how effective staging sells homes for more money. Provide a few hints of how you might stage their home — just enough to let them see the possibilities. Even if you’re not a full-blown “stager,” you can communicate your passion for staging. Have you worked as an artist, graphic designer, or interior designer? Have you sold — or made — furniture? Worked in a paint store mixing colors? Any of these experiences can be turned into an advantage in staging. Perhaps you can save the sellers money by staging their home instead of having an expensive professional do it. Maybe you stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Perhaps you imply know the best local stagers and contractors. If you’re working with buyers, let them know how your staging expertise

will help them turn their house into a home.

Photographing Houses: Talk about how you’ll take better-quality, more appealing pictures of their house. Everybody says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Why not talk about that? “Hey, instead of writing an ad about your house and its four bedrooms and three baths, I can take an amazing picture that will capture attention and make buyers instantly fall in love with your house!” You could also take pictures of your prospect’s home and post them on Instagram to attract buyers. Talk about how your expert lighting composition will showcase their home’s best features, making their house sparkle and shine. With a little research, you can find examples of similar homes that sold well with good-quality photos or languished on the market with amateur-looking pictures. Marketing: If you used to work in media or at an ad agency, then talk about your marketing expertise and how you’ll use it to do a better job of selling their house. If you’ve worked in real estate a while, you probably have examples of how you’ve done this better than your competitors. Perhaps you write brilliant ad copy, or you network extensively with local professionals. What If You Were a Chef? If you’ve worked as a cook or a chef, talk about your kitchen expertise. You could talk about your ability to handle important details under pressure. Who better than a former chef to explain to buyers the advantages of an efficient kitchen, energy-saving appliances, or an outdoor grilling area? Perhaps sharing a few recipes would inspire future owners. Maybe instead of chocolate chip cookies, your canapés would make an open house the talk of the town. You Worked in Construction: Maybe you used to work in construction. You know more about the quality craftsmanship and materials of the home than other agents. In fact, maybe

you could specialize in new construction, because you’re used to working with builders and contractors. Don’t claim to be an inspector unless you want to assume liability for problems. But you can certainly point out the strengths and weaknesses of a home, and alert sellers — or buyers — to potential problems before expensive repairs are needed. You Understand Financing: Maybe you used to work in lending. In that case, you could talk about your lending expertise, how you can make sure your clients are getting the best deal on their financing, how you can make sure that sellers will have a less stressful sale. As you probably know, financing is the number one cause of stress in real estate. Other Ideas: I know of a home painter who went into real estate. Strange as it seems, he worked both of these very different jobs at the same time. He would offer to paint the sellers’ house if they would list their home with him! He got several listings this way. Examples are endless. Remember, your niche might be your passion, rather than your expertise. Are you passionate about fishing? The beach? Waterfront properties? Historic districts? Whatever matters to you, it gives you an opportunity to communicate with prospects and clients on uniquely engaging terms. (I’ll explore this in more depth later in the book.) You can literally “speak their language” and use that ability to bond, to earn their trust, and achieve success on their behalf. You can be the person they want to sell their house.

TELLING YOUR CUSTOMERS

Once you’ve figured out why you’re better than your competitors, it’s up to you to capitalize on that difference by communicating it to customers. Here are a couple of tips on how you can tell

customers why you’re better.

Whenever you’re talking to a customer, get straight to the point on how you can benefit them. Don’t say, “Ben, I notice you’re looking for a home at the beach, and I love the beach. I just love living here in Atlantic Beach,” blah, blah, blah, and, “I love living here in this beach town,” blah, blah, blah. Instead, you can say, “I specialize in beach properties,” or, “I’m an expert at beach properties.” Get straight to the point on how you can benefit them. “I’m an expert at better marketing that will sell your house for more money.” “I’m an expert at negotiating a better price for your house.” Remember, the faster you tell them how you can help them, the better. Drag out your message too long, and people just conk out. They stop paying attention and say, “You know what? I’m not interested,” and they don’t talk to you anymore. You only have 10 seconds to make a great first impression. So, make sure your first impression is quick, and get to the point of why they should work with you as quickly as possible. Another example: If you have a great customer service background, you could say, “I specialize in great customer service. I used to be a customer service expert at ABC Corporation, and I got a top-notch rating because of my customer service abilities.” Now that you’ve made your great first impression in 10 seconds or less, you can put together a great, unique selling proposition for your business. You can talk to customers about why you’re better and grow your business.

AVOID THESE MISTAKES

Here are a couple of mistakes to avoid when you’re communicating with a prospect. Be careful that what you say doesn’t make you sound the same as every other agent. Remember, you want to establish your USP. So, don’t rely on the same claims and the same promises. In a sea of agents who all say the same thing, that’s not the way to stand out from your competition. Keep your market positioning in mind. Here’s a real-life example of why this matters. Have you ever heard a car dealer radio spot or TV commercial? Every single car dealer ad says the same thing: “We have the lowest prices. We will not be beat. Our prices are so low.” Let’s imagine we actually have a car dealership that has the lowest prices. Who cares? The problem is, everybody claims to have the lowest prices, but the consumer can’t sort out whose prices are lowest. With every single car dealer claiming to have the lowest prices, it doesn’t matter if you genuinely do have the lowest prices, because you appear no different from everyone else.

TIRED CLICHES

Here are some of the claims I’ve noticed real estate agents make. If you claim to have these same things, it may be hard to stand out from your competition. “I’m available 24/7, 365 d e 24/7, 365 days a year!” A lot of agents say things such as this. I’m available anytime. Call me at 2 in the morning, and I will answer the phone.” “I have the best service!” In fact, this claim is kind of sad. I honestly feel bad, but I know of a real estate company that started up — it was actually a real estate team — and they talked about how they had the best service. That was everything they talked about.

Their branding was so pitiful that they ended up having to change the name of their company. Maybe they did have the best service — I don’t know. The fact is, it didn’t matter to consumers. It didn’t get the company any business. “I return phone calls!” (Yawn!) A lot of agents seem to like to talk about the fact that they return phone calls. Does anyone just sit and stare at the phone when it rings? Does any real estate agent with even minimal confidence and enthusiasm not return customers’ calls? “I know the area!” I would suggest avoiding saying this, because almost everybody claims to know the area. If you claim to know the area, make sure you follow up immediately with proof. Study your area to learn all you can about it — the demographics, income levels, offering prices and actual sales prices, sales trends, shopping, schools, and, well, everything else. Make sure your selling proposition is unique. If it’s not different from everyone else’s, then it won’t help you stand out. And if you don’t stand out from your competition, you’re just part of the background noise. That’s not the way to grow your business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Identify the passion, experience, or skill that sets you apart from competitors. • If communicated well, your market positioning signals your value to customers. • You have 10 seconds or less to make a great first impression on prospects. • When communicating, avoid clichés that make you sound like all the other agents.

CHAPTER 6 How to Be the Confident Pro Clients o Clients Want to Hire Sell yourself on you. Now, what do I mean by that? I mean that a big part of performing anything well is gaining the confidence that you can do it. You have to first sell yourself — you — on why you’re a great Realtor®, and why you deserve people’s business. We all know that confidence makes a huge difference for any business person or professional. Imagine how you’d react if your doctor acted nervous and uncertain when describing the heart surgery you were about to undergo! If you’re confident, you have a way better chance at getting the business. Besides being confident, there are a couple of other things you can do. Why does this matter? Why do you need to sell yourself on you first before you try to sell other people on you?

HELPING CUSTOMERS DECIDE

The average real estate customer doesn’t know who’s a good agent and who’s not. They don’t understand real estate, so they have no basis for choosing an agent. In addition, everyone has qualms. They’ve been burned by a business. They’ve been lied to by people who are trying to sell them something. As a result, they’re skeptical and they’re cautious. You have to convince them you’re the right choice, and part of that is showing them that you’re confident. Think about your own experiences. Think about the last time you 35

hired somebody to work on your car. You took it to a mechanic. Unless you’ve worked with that car mechanic or repair shop for years, and they’ve proved themselves over and over, it’s hard for you to have confidence that they’re good at what they do. Now, if they show you testimonials, positive reviews, or you’ve been referred to them by several of your friends, you’ll have confidence in that car repair shop. But what if there are no testimonials, reviews, or referrals? If you’re just talking to them, they can be the best in the world, but you just can’t be sure.

CUSTOMERS ARE OVERWHELMED

Even if customers aren’t skeptical about your abilities, there are so many real estate agents out there, it’s confusing to know which one to pick. When you have the opportunity to talk with a prospective customer, whether it’s by phone or face-to-face, it’s important to be confident. Your confidence tells them several important things about yourself. First, it tells them that you’re comfortable. You’re in control of the situation. You can handle things. You’ve been in this situation before. You’re a seasoned professional — even if, in reality, you’re new to the game of real estate! Your confidence tells them that you believe in yourself. You’re not nervous and twitchy, like somebody who doubts their own motives or weaknesses or has something to hide. People who are trustworthy and have good character are confident in themselves. All of these things tell the client they should choose to work with you. The agent who is sold on why he or she is better probably is better, and as a result, the customers will probably work with that agent.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108